We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App





Same Nasal Swabs Used to Diagnose COVID-19 Could Also Identity Potentially Severe Cases

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 26 Jul 2021
A study has found that cells taken from nasal swabs of patients at the time of diagnosis who later developed severe COVID-19 showed a muted antiviral response, indicating that the same nasal swabs could be also used to identity potentially severe cases.

Researchers at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard (Cambridge, MA, USA), and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard (Cambridge, MA, USA), along with the team at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH); MIT; and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) studied cells taken from nasal swabs of patients at the time of their initial COVID-19 diagnosis, comparing patients who went on to develop mild COVID-19 to those who progressed into more severe disease and eventually required respiratory support. More...
Their results showed that patients who went on to develop severe COVID-19 exhibited a much more muted antiviral response in the cells collected from those early swabs, compared to patients who had a mild course of disease.

First, the team found that the antiviral response, driven by a family of proteins called interferons, was much more muted in patients who went on to develop severe COVID-19. Second, patients with severe COVID-19 had higher amounts of highly inflammatory macrophages, immune cells that contribute to high amounts of inflammation, often found in severe or fatal COVID-19. Since these samples were taken well before COVID-19 had reached its peak state of disease in the patients, both these findings indicate that the course of COVID-19 may be determined by the initial or very early response of the nasal epithelial and immune cells to the virus. The lack of strong initial antiviral response may allow the virus to spread more rapidly, increasing the chances that it can move from the upper to lower airways, while the recruitment of inflammatory immune cells could help drive the dangerous inflammation in severe disease.

Finally, the team also identified infected host cells and pathways associated with protection against infection — cells and responses unique to patients that went on to develop a mild disease. These findings may allow researchers to discover new therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 and other respiratory viral infections. If, as the team’s evidence suggests, the early stages of infection can determine disease, it opens a path for scientists to develop early interventions that can help prevent severe COVID-19 from developing. The team’s work even identified potential markers of severe disease, genes that were expressed in mild COVID-19 but not in severe COVID-19.

"Nearly all our severe COVID-19 samples lacked expression of several genes we would typically expect to see in an antiviral response," said Carly Ziegler, a graduate student in the Health Science and Technology program at MIT and Harvard and one of the study’s co-first authors. "If further studies support our findings, we could use the same nasal swabs we use to diagnose COVID-19 to identity potentially severe cases before severe disease develops, creating an opportunity for effective early intervention."

Related Links:
Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard



Gold Member
Multiplex Genetic Analyzer
MassARRAY Dx Analyzer (Europe only)
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
New
Gold Member
Immunochromatographic Assay
CRYPTO Cassette
New
Gold Member
Automatic Hematology Analyzer
DH-800 Series
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: AiPlex VAS for the MosaiQ platform is designed to help reduce time-to-diagnosis for patients with autoimmune vasculitis (Photo courtesy of AliveDx)

Novel Multiplex Assay Supports Diagnosis of Autoimmune Vasculitis

Autoimmune vasculitis and related conditions are difficult to diagnose quickly and accurately, often requiring multiple tests to confirm the presence of specific autoantibodies. Traditional methods can... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The test could streamline clinical decision-making by identifying ideal candidates for immunotherapy upfront (Xiao, Y. et al. Cancer Biology & Medicine July 2025, 20250038)

Blood Test Predicts Immunotherapy Efficacy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype lacking targeted therapies, making immunotherapy a promising yet unpredictable option. Current biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression or tumor... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: The sensor can help diagnose diabetes and prediabetes on-site in a few minutes using just a breath sample (Photo courtesy of Larry Cheng/Penn State)

Graphene-Based Sensor Uses Breath Sample to Identify Diabetes and Prediabetes in Minutes

About 37 million U.S. adults live with diabetes, and one in five is unaware of their condition. Diagnosing diabetes often requires blood draws or lab visits, which are costly and inconvenient.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.